FUN-travel: Slow Boat to Singapore – Half of Crystal 2016 World Cruise – 47 Days
January 31, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on FUN-travel: Slow Boat to Singapore – Half of Crystal 2016 World Cruise – 47 Days
Monday, January 25th
- Having no international flights with the accompanying jet lag (plus a short flight from San Diego, with no delays) made for a most enjoyable start of our 22nd cruise. And in true fashion of “saving the best for last” we were looking forward to our first Crystal cruise experience.
- We opted to pay more to have them transport us to the ship, versus grabbing a taxi, in the event there was a plane delay. Good insurance as we saw it. We were met in baggage claim, loaded into a shuttle, and arrived at Pier 27 in less than 30 minutes. Anything that could go wrong didn’t!
- Aside from the 30 minute wait to board the ship, the check in process was extremely swift and well organized. Of course being greeted by a smiling waiter, with a full tray of champagne flutes, and having our stateroom ready erased any ill will we may have felt.
- The Serenity set sail at 4:15 pm and having four-and-a-half days at sea gave us ample time to explore the ship and acclimate ourselves. The ship has 13 decks, 1070 passenger capacity, with 960 on this first 22 day segment, and a total of 360 doing the world cruise.
- There are 7 bars, 5 dining venues, and 3 specialty restaurants (Prego, Silk Road & The Sushi Bar) that require reservations. You are allowed a total of 4 reservations during each cruise segment without a charge.
- They have won hands down for “the best cappuccino” on a cruise ship. The problem is you can only get it at the Bistro which doesn’t open until 9 am. The other restaurants have the push button machines, not awful, but not the same.
- Same goes for the food so far. Every meal has been very good or excellent.
FUN-fact – Surprisingly we have not made it to every bar yet!
Word Of the Week #599: Potential
January 27, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #599: Potential
Potential – having the capacity to become or develop into something in the future.
Do you want to achieve more at work? Do you know what motivates you to perform at your best? How about the people you work with and live with?
This week we follow up on Jennifer Davies article in the San Diego UT Business section titled, “The bottom line on emotional intelligence.”
To recap: Trevor Blair, director of executive search for Manpower San Diego, a local employment agency, says, “Some business types continue to think of EQ as some fluffy, new-age mumbo that has no place in a fast-paced company fighting to survive in a competitive marketplace, the smart companies are realizing its true value.
The fact is no leader can reach their potential with it.
In order to understand other people and what motivates them to perform at their best, you first have to understand yourself.”
But EQ can be about more than leadership potential.
It can also translate into real dollars according to Travis Bradberry, the author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0.
“People with a high degree of emotional intelligence make more money – an average of $29,000 more per year than people with a low degree of emotional intelligence,” he writes.
“The link between emotional intelligence and earnings is so direct that every point increase in emotional intelligence adds $1,300 to an annual salary.”
The good news is that unlike IQ – which is considered to be static and unchangeable no matter how much you study or work to improve it – emotional intelligence can be boosted.
This week’s focus is on reaching your potential. Would you like to achieve more of a leadership role at work? Would you like to make more money? Would you like to know how to improve and boost your Emotional Intelligence?
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Word Of the Week #598: Savvy
January 20, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #598: Savvy
Savvy – having or showing a clever awareness and resourcefulness; common sense.
How would you rate yourself on being savvy? How aware are you of your thoughts and feelings? How astute are you at sizing up situations at home and work?
Jennifer Davies, the assistant dean of external affairs for UCSD, contributes to the San Diego UT Business section. “The bottom line on emotional intelligence” is this week’s feature.
She writes. “You may be smart, but that may not be enough in today’s job market.
More companies are looking for those who are emotionally savvy as well.
Trevor Blair, director of executive search for Manpower San Diego, a local employment agency, said the importance of a high EQ, also known as emotional intelligence, cannot be understated, especially for “knowledge workers, millennials and members of the creative class, who simply don’t respond to old-school methods of motivation in the workplace.”
But what exactly is emotional intelligence?
Travis Bradberry, the author of Emotional Intelligence 2.0, has described it this way: “Emotional intelligence is the ‘something’ in each of us that is a bit intangible. It affects how we manage behavior, navigate social complexities and make personal decisions that achieve positive results.”
What’s even more interesting according to Bradberry, is that EQ might be more important than IQ – or intelligent quotient – as studies have found that “people with average IQs outperform those with the highest IQs 70 percent of the time.”
While Blair said some business types continue to think of EQ as some “fluffy, new-age mumbo that has no place in a fast-paced company fighting to survive in a competitive marketplace,” the smart companies are realizing its true value.
“The fact is no leader can reach their potential with it,” he said
This week’s focus is having more savvy. Would you like to achieve more positive results when you make personal decisions? How well are you at navigating social complexities and reading the feelings of others? Would you like to reach your full potential at work?
Stay tuned! In the next several weeks we’ll have more tips on how to boost your EQ.
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Word Of the Week #597: Rejuvenate
January 13, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #597: Rejuvenate
Rejuvenate – renewed energy and strength.
How productive were you last week? Would you like to work smarter and not harder? What activities give you renewed energy and strength?
This is the follow up to last week’s WOW from Joyce E. A. Russell’s Career Coach article, Taking breaks from work is vital, in the LA Times. She writes, “How can you rejuvenate? Take short breaks at work by leaving your desk to get up and take a walk or have lunch with friends, or take longer breaks in which you might take a hike, unplug from technology or take a power nap. It doesn’t mean simply trading one work-related task for another because this does not relax your brains.
Instead, substitute restorative activities such as listening to music, enjoying nature, meditating, engaging in social interactions, daydreaming, phoning your children or partner, reading a fun book, drawing or doodling, or going to lunch with friends or colleagues.
I remember consulting at a firm where many of the executives brought novels and read during lunch. They told me that it relaxed them and gave them a chance to briefly escape the stresses of the job. They also said they came back to their work ready to focus.
Try to step away from work about every 90 minutes or so. Set a time if that helps. By adopting a routine, you push yourself to be more productive and focused. If you don’t want to start with that many breaks, then at least plan on two 15-minute breaks a day. It’s not as optimal as a break every 90 minutes, but it’s better than no breaks at all.
A lunch break is one important time in which it would be in your best interest to get up and leave your desk, either by exercising, enjoying lunch with friends or engaging in a hobby. Doing something that is fun and makes you feel good about yourself is key. Staying at your desk while eating lunch does not help in the renewal of your brain.
Just like getting enough sleep is essential to good health, so is taking a break. Your physical therapist will agree because many of us hold a lot of stress inside and experience neck and shoulder pain. Taking more frequent breaks and stretching will help alleviate these pains.
Time to practice what I preach – I’m off to take a stretch break.”
This week’s focus is to rejuvenate. What could you do that is FUN and makes you feel good about yourself? Do you enjoy listening to music? How about taking walks? Like to read a good book? When was the last time you actually called a friend or family member?
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Word Of the Week #596: Productive
January 7, 2016 by Susan Clarke · Comments Off on Word Of the Week #596: Productive
Productive – doing or achieving and getting good results.
Do you feel you are as productive as you could be? Are you working longer hours trying to get everything done? Did you know that taking breaks actually increases your productivity?
The LA Times Sunday Business Section featured Joyce E. A. Russell’s Career Coach article, Taking breaks from work is vital. She writes, “It’s the holidays and many of us are overwhelmed juggling work, family schedules and end-of-the-year pressures. We work longer hours trying to accomplish more, and yet the piles don’t seem to disappear no matter how much we work. So we start earlier and stay up later, hoping that throwing more time into our work will enable us to get it all done.
Yet many researchers show us that this isn’t the most productive way to work, and in fact we
may be less productive by pushing ourselves to work day and night with no breaks in sight.
Taking breaks during work actually increases productivity because it refuels us. It enables our brains to recharge, even if we break for just 60 seconds. Pushing ourselves with no time off taxes our brains, making it harder for us to stay on task or remain attentive to what we are doing. Despite what we may think, we don’t have endless cognitive resources.
It is especially important to take breaks if you are being paid to be creative and innovative. Our brains need to be rested to come up with new ideas. Forcing yourself to stay focused on the task at hand for hours upon hours puts a lot of stress on your brains to maintain this self-control. In addition, breaks help you reevaluate goals to make sure you are accomplishing the right things or in the right ways.
How can you rejuvenate? Take short breaks at work by leaving your desk to get up and take a walk or have lunch with friends, or take longer breaks in which you might take a hike, unplug from technology or take a power nap. It doesn’t mean simply trading one work-related task for another because this does not relax your brains.”
Next week I will share more tips from Joyce on how to rejuvenate. Make this week’s focus on being productive. Do you tend to keep pushing harder by working longer hours? And where has that gotten you? What breaks do you take during the course of your day? When’s the last time you had lunch with a friend?
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